FORTUNE-HUNTING

Is tolerably well calculated for the circulating library. It has sentiment for the young ladies, and humour and character for those who relish books of mere amusement. The authoress has exhibited very different powers from those displayed in her First Love; which was a work containing much delicate appreciation of the female character, combined certainly with a plot of the utmost extravagance. In the art of concocting probabilities, this lady has not greatly improved: a series of more impossible incidents, in the present state of society, could nov be invented. Whereas First Love was a beautiful eulogy on the tenderness and constancy of the female character, Fortune-Hunting is a calumnious libel upon their grossness and rapacity. There is devised, for the purpose of exposing the true woman, one Colonel Trump, holding a commis- sion under Solomon Levi, of Holywell Street, Strand, a Jew old- clothes-man, of whom he has purchased his uniform. This vulgar impostor succeeds with ladies of the most exemplary description, by the force of excessive impudence, a brawny person, a tremen- dous pair of whiskers, and an inexhaustible stock of blarney com- phments. Whether a monster like this soi-disant Colonel is cal- culated to have complete success with ladies who 'rejoice in fortunes,. we know not : one of their own sex has given it against the ladies, and we presume we must submit to her verdict. That it would be difficult to say any thing more harsh of the female taste, than that such fellows as Trump may pick and choose among them, will be clear from the exhibition of some traits of his strange character. His impudence, perseverance, and gross vanity, are extremely laughable ; and if he had been set up as a scarecrow for fortune- hunters, we should have thought it all natural enough ; but to see the pattern ladies fall into his trap, as wasps drown themselves in honey-pots, is too bad, more especially if it be natural. Can forms SO fair, manners so refined, language so pure, and habits so deli- cate, hide behind them monstrous grossness, voracious vanity, and above all, such credulous ignorance? Is this life, or only Lea- mington and Bath life ?—the scenes whence our authoress appears to have drawn her originals. The introduction of Colonel Trump both to the reader and his regiment takes place at the shop of Solomon Levi, already alluded to : he there is promoted from being a Major of the 14th Lancers to a Colonel of the Guards. His former regiment he had quitted suddenly at Harrowgate, in consequence of the arrival of' two bro- ther officers, who were not aware that they had such a fine-looking fellow as Trump in the regiment. After that affair, the Major thinks it best to get among the " unattached "—determines never again to confess his regiment : and, through his silence on the point, gives birth to some awkward speculations : these Colonel Trump considers the least evil of the two.

" Pray, Glandore," proceeded her Ladyship, "who is this Colonel Trump, and of what regiment . He appears to me an extremely forward and half-bred person."

" Really," said Glandore, " your Ladyship is severe : poor Trump is an ex- cellent fellow, I assure you, and of a very ancient and highly respectable family —the Trumps of Cornwall." " If he is of that family," replied her Ladyship, " his connexions are some of the highest in the kingdom." " Why, then," said Lord Summerton, the elderly gentleman on whom Lady Kilmany was leaning, " should be thrust himself forward as he does? If a man has any place in society, lie is generally allowed to take it without pushing for it."" " What regiment does he, or did he command ?" asked the deserted Sir Peter, who now stood on the other side of Lady Kilmany ; " my son has seen a good deal of service and may have met with bins." It was on the part of Isis absent son that Sir Peter was paying court to Abs. Bellevue. " Regiment—ab—," said Glandore, " really I forget ; you must ask himself." Mrs. Bellevue was just asking the Colonel the same question. " Regiment !" lie repeated; " yes—yes. There's a fellow with ices; shall I bring you a glass?"

Mrs. Bellevue assented, and the ice was brought with the most flattering empressement of manner possible.

" But I have interrupted you," said Mrs. Bellevue ; "you were about to say what regiment." " Yes—ves—true, we were speaking of my regiment. Very fine regiment :. —hot work in South' America—lost a great many men." " Indeed !" said Mrs. Bellevue, " and what regiment did you say it was?" " Regiment—yes—yes,—allow me to put your glass down." This service was performed accordingly ; and the Colonel returning to his post, begged to know if there was any thing else lie could procure for Mrs. Bellevue: " Nothing more, thank you, and I ought to beg a thousand pardons for inter- rupting you so often. You were just speaking of your regiment. What regi- ment was it, dill you say ?"

• "Yes—yes--" reconnnenced the Colonel, "when we were in South America —yes,—we lost a great many men, and were obliged to employ great numbers, of the native Blacks."

" The Blacks, did you say?" asked Mrs. Bellevue : the music was rather loud at the moment, so that she had not beard very distinctly. "I know a great many officers of the Blues," she continued ; "but I cannot rernember.to have beard of the Blacks before."

" The Blacks !" repeated the Colonel, " eh—ell—eh—your wit is almost as sparkling as your eyes! My regiment is lain sure, highly honoured: in having received a new title from those beautiful lips."

" A new title !" said Mrs. Bellevue; " am I wrong then ?" " Wrong ! how could you be wrong? at least, according to my creed, perfect loveliness cannot err."

"Nay, Colonel Trump," said Mrs. Bellevue, "I am so much accustomed to compliments, that they really have no effect. It is, to use a military illustration, quite a waste of ammunition." The Colonel, however, continued, in his own expressive language, "to fire away ;" and though his compliments, it must be confessed, wanted the charm of delicacy, such was the assiduity of his manner, the instantaneous supply of every imagined want or wish, and the seemingly honest-hearted satisfaction with which every trivial service was performed, that Mrs. Bellevue began almost to reproach herself for making unmerciful fun of the Colonel.

Having exhibited the Colonel on the scene of his exploits, we go back to the period of his promotion.

In Holywell Street, in the Strand, may still be seen the well-known and well-stocked shop of our good friend Solomon Levi. At the precise momentat• which our history opens, this sanctum sanctorum of coats, waistcoats, &c., &c., was approached by a swaggering sort of fellow, figure not bad, but features, to speak leniently, at least not aristocratic. There hung at Solomon's door sundry of the above-mentioned as well as all. other articles of male attire; among the rest were various military coats, which. seemed to draw the attention of the stranger, for he stopped, and not only looked at, but handled some of them. Solomon perceiving this, bustled forth to his assistance ; and inviting him to enter, informed him that he had a large assort- ment in the shop and back shop, and also in his warerooms up stairs, much, better worth the attention of a gentleman than any of those specimens which hung out at the door. The stranger entered, and begged to see a full-dress cut suitable to a major in the Army. " It is merely for a fancy ball occasion," he added, "or I should of course have had new uniform." While lifting up, and laying down, and turning about the coats displayed by Solomon, he threw out a. careless hint that on his homeward voyage his luggage had been thrown over- board in a storm ; and again, that when next he joined his regiment, it would be time enough to purchase new clothes. On the mention of his regiment, Solomon begged to know what regiment, that he might select the coat that' with the least alteration could be made to suit. "Yes," said the stranger, "yes, my regiment, yes—let me see, this coat—"

Is the full dress of a major in the Tenth." " What price?"

" Eleven guineas." " Eleven guineas! You would take half the money if you could get it." " I would not take a farthing less than I have named," said Solomon ; "it -cost thirty, and is as good as new." By this time the arranger was busy scru- tinizing another coat on which the lace was slightly tarnished. " That," said Solomon, " is the full dress of a colonel in the Guards."

" But what is the price?" asked the stranger with much doubt, inwardly re- flecting the while, that if a majority were so dear, what must a coloneky be. " This coat is a very great bargain," said Solomon, " only five pounds, the lace being slightly tarnished : I bought it cheap, and I make it a point of con- science never to have more than a fair profit on any article." A sort of electric stroke of joy passed through the heart of the stranger, as The words of Solomon smote his ear. Confused ideas of the high promotion thus within his very grasp raised him in his own estimation : be felt himself a foot taller. " Nl'hy should I pay eleven guineas," said he to himself, " to be only a major, when I can be a colonel for five pounds ? Yes, yes," said he aloud, " this coat, though not so new as I could wish, will certainly suit me best, my rank being that of a lieutenant-colonel." "I beg your pardon, Colonel," said Solomon; "I understood you to have said major, or I should have shown you this coat first." " Major !" repeated the Colonel (for as we do not yet know his name, we must call him by his title) " major ! I never mentioned the word : recollect yourself; I asked for a colonel's coat as soon as I entered your shop. I com- manded indeed at—a—the—a—taking of Fort Jago in South America." Solomon, who, notwithstanding his possession of a name so revered for Avis- dam, was a little puzzled, bowed assent, and again begged to know the regiment, that he might have any alterations made in the coat which might bs necessary. " Regiment, yes—a—yes—very proper ; yes—regiment, yes—alterations, yes—yes—. But—a--my own tailor, you see, still do all that. You'll take off twenty per cent. for ready money ? ' " Could not think of it," said Solomon ' • " I have named the very lowest : I never make two prices." The Colonel, however, persisted ; and after much higgling, at which this gallant officer showed himself as great a proficient as any old egg-wife in any market, Solomon yielded, and then proceeded to remind the Colonel that he would require some other articles of dress to complete Ids costume ; at the same time handing him a waistcoat in tolerable preservation, and holding up, for distant effect, a pair of white kersevmeres. The Camel, however, was nut to be taken in, or, as he himself u tild have expressed it, done, so easily as all that: he insisted on a close examivation, turned them in- side out, aud, what was still more effectual, held titian up between his eyes and the light. " Ho! Ito!" he exclaimed; " the moths have been having a capital good meal of it here, and in a confounded awkward place too,—so conspicuous, just at the left-hand pocket, where the holes will be sure to be seen. If they had been concealed by the skirts of the swallow-tailed coat, I should not have minded so much.

" It's a mere nothing," argued Solomon, "and will be completely covered by the ends of the sash, if you tie it judiciously : besides, the articles must have fetched fifteen shillings, bad they been perfect ; whereas, with this slight defect— which is all imagination, for, in flirt, no one will know it but yourself—you shall have them for five shillings." " Yes," said the Colonel, "yes—let me see!" the organ of calculation ex- panding the while ; "let me see! that is ten shillings difference ; now ten shillings down, is sixpence a year fin- ever. Yes, yes; well, we'll step into the back shop and try them on ; and if, as you say, the ends of the sash hang exactly over the defective part, perhaps we may agree." Accordingly they did agree. The sash too, and the sword, were purchased, and the Colonel, what he called himself, " rigged." All was to be sent home : he had given his address to Solomon, and was again in the street,—his step triumphant, his countenance ennobled by that inde- scribable expression which the inward consciousness of high rank bestows on its possessor. He now bent his way to a small shop, in the windows of which appeared specimens of fashionable visiting-cards. lie here ordered a copper-plate to be 'immediately executed—Lieutenant-Colonel—we did not exactly catch the name, but Lieutenant-Colonel we heard distinctly.

He was again in the street ; and having nearly completed the business of the day, he bent his steps towards his lodging, or his own snug little berth, as he called it, in occasional self-gratulating cogitations, to which he was subject after making an advantageous bargain, or, as he emphatically termed it, " doing a fellow, or after getting a good dinner "out of a fellow," who could swallow his swaggering lies in return. He next just looked in at the tailor's, to bid hint call in the evening for the purpose of holding a consultation about the fit of the uniform ; and the very last thing, within a few doors (,f his said lodging, stopped at a butcher's shop, to see cut off a thick, tender, well-hung beef-steak.. This was always the finale of his diurnal labours, and purposely delayed till all hopes of a dinner anywhere else were at an end.

The Glandore mentioned as Trump's introducer, is a roué of tolel-!0-le family, who has taken Trump, the son of an innkeeper- onc lieown, of the Saracen's Head, somewhere in the West—from his father by way of paying an enormous bill he had contracted at the inn. The two scoundrels pursue a series of iniquities ; and, after causing a great deal of misery, and involving apparently respectable persons in their villanies, finish their career in a way altogether satisfactory to a novel-reader's notion of poetical justice. -Glandore forges an acceptance on his dear friend the Colonel, and takes prussic acid in gaol. Trump marries a lady of rank and for- tune, who dies, and the money dies with her: after which, he is --taken in by a dashing widow of an apparent fifteen hundred a year in income, but of a real ten thousand in debts. The Insolvent Act -comes to the aid of the pseudo Colonel, and Boulogne-sur-Mer receives him into her hospitable bosom: the resources, however, of .Boulogne ultimately fail, and the Colonel and his treacherous .-spouse ultimately join a company of strolling players, amongst whom Trump hopes to get up something in the shape of a crim.

The authoress of Fortune-Hunting means well : some of her sketches are not deficient in force; some only excel in breadth ; but, on the whole, she is a crude and somewhat clumsy writer. The greater part of the book is mere stowage: had we had the manuscript in our hands, we conceive that, by means of certain perpendicular parallels extending down many consecutive pages, and a few marginal exclamations, we could mightily have im- proved its texture and quality. But then, where would have been tbe4hree volumes?